The goal of every engineer or product designer is to achieve the best possible result with the lowest possible cost. Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design does not escape this universal law. This article discusses the best strategies to reduce the cost of producing PCBs without compromising board quality or functionality and illustrates these strategies with simulated examples using Pentalogix PCB fabrication services.
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Printed circuit boards and real estate have one thing in common: larger area, higher price. Hence, a printed circuit board should never occupy unnecessary space (unless there are mechanical or electrical reasons to increase the size). Some tips to reduce board size without compromising functionality are:
Table 1 presents two simulated quotes for boards with the same specifications, only varying the PCB size, to show the impact of printed circuit board dimensions in fabrication cost.
Specification PCB A (Small) PCB B (Large) Board size 3&#; x 2&#; 6&#; x 4&#; Layer count 4 Material FR4 Thickness 0.062&#; Copper Weight 1 oz Surface Finish ENIG Solder mask Green Silkscreen White Cost for 10 Boards $550 $900 (+63%)Table 1. Comparison of Cost for different PCB Sizes
Layer Count
The same as with board size, a cost-driving factor in PCB fabrication is the number of layers. Because each added layer increases the time the board goes through the different stages in a PCB factory, it has a great impact on the board cost.
For most simple designs, two layers is usually enough. Multilayer boards can be a better option for signal integrity in densely populated designs. The goal here is to achieve a clean layout with the lowest possible number of layers. Careful stack-up planning is recommended before starting a new PCB layout in order to obtain the optimal number of layers.
Table 2 shows the comparison of similar boards with 2 and 4 layers, respectively.
Specification PCB A (2 Layers) PCB B (4 Layers) Board size 3&#; x 2&#; Layer count 2 4 Material FR4 Thickness 0.062&#; Copper Weight 1 oz Surface Finish ENIG Solder mask Green Silkscreen White Cost for 10 Boards $370 $550 (+49%)Table 2. Comparison of Cost for 2 and 4-layer boards
Board Specifications
Certain specifications in the PCB fabrication process can increase the cost considerably. The same design can be manufactured using multiple combinations of specifications regarding board material, thickness, color, surface finish, and others.
Typically, manufacturers offer a set of specifications that are considered &#;standard&#; for which they offer the lowest cost of their price table. Customized or advanced specifications increase the fabrication cost. The vast majority of designs can be made using those so-called standard specifications with very good results in terms of quality.
Table 2 shows a comparison of the costs to produce the exact same design using standard specifications versus a customized set of specifications in Pentalogix.
Specification Standard Custom Board size 3&#; x 2&#; Layer count 4 Material FR4 FR4 Thickness 0.062&#; 0.093&#; Copper Weight 1 oz 2 oz Surface Finish ENIG ENIG Solder mask Green Red Silkscreen White Black Cost for 10 Boards $370 $908 (+65%)Table 3. Comparison of Costs for Different PCB Specifications
Lead time
Last but not least, another way to save money in PCB manufacturing without compromising quality is choosing longer lead time options when they are available. Manufacturers usually have &#;express&#; or &#;quick-turn&#; options (as fast as one-day turnaround in some cases) but also provide with slower alternatives for those who can afford to wait a few more days. Table 4 shows a price comparison between 1-day and 5-day PCB fabrication in Pentalogix.
Specification Standard Custom Board size 3&#; x 2&#; Layer count 2 Material FR4 Thickness 0.062&#; Copper Weight 1 oz Surface Finish ENIG Solder mask Green Silkscreen White Lead time 5 Days 1 Day Cost for 10 Boards $340 $560 (+64%)A global circuit shortage in sparked fears of price hikes among customers and sellers in the circuit board business. Unfortunately, that shortage is still ongoing and PCB prices are on the rise.
Luckily for you, this blog has ideas on reducing the cost of PCBs (printed circuit boards) for your business, allowing you to save, profit more and invest your money in other operational areas of your business.
Like any other commodity in the market, PCB prices can rise and fall based on the economy. However, simple changes to your PCB design go a long way in lowering your costs.
Some retailers are known to charge you extra for performing cut-outs. That cost can go higher if you plan to buy designer-style PCBs.
Your brand recognition and functionality don't always depend on such unique cut-outs. However, by skipping some unnecessary features, you will automatically reduce the cost of your PCB purchase bill. Therefore, unless you need internal cut-outs to help mount your PCB, we suggest you avoid this feature.
One of the easiest ways to buy low-cost printed circuit boards online at reduced prices is to keep your purchase requirements simple. You can buy simple boards and then optimize them later in the review stage. Any good engineer will want to optimize the PCB elements on their final board selections. It would help if you got PCBs on a small form factor with clearance for varied components.
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Different design options to accommodate those elements come with varying price tags, so keep an eye out for the most straightforward options and go from there.
If you plan to buy multiple boards or want to make large orders for PCBs, remember to keep the overall board shapes the same or similar to one another. Such consistency in the total design of your PCB boards will reduce the overall cost you'll be expected to pay.
Even if you have a handful of PCBs that are inconsistent with the rest of your order, keeping your boards similar or the same design will reduce the overall cost.
You have three distinct vias for PCBs: blind, buried, and through-hole. Through-hole vias progress through the entire PCB board, are easier to make and, therefore cheaper. Buried vias go-between at least two inner layers and are invisible from the outer layers. These are slightly more challenging to make, and the cost will reflect that.
Finally, blind vias come in from either the top or bottom portions of the PCB and progress toward a layer somewhere in the middle without touching the top or bottom of the board. Depending on the supplier, these are the most expensive type of via.
The most affordable PCB vias are through-holes, so try to use them wherever you can. However, your costs can spike with buried or blind vias, so unless you're working with high-density and high-frequency PCB boards, we suggest you avoid buried and blind vias altogether.
The size of PCB boards is vital during the assembly process. If the PCB is too small or complex, manufacturers will need more time and techniques to put it together. This means more expenses for you. However, you can save space on your PCB board without having to choose a small board that makes assembling unnecessarily complex.
Many buyers have struggled with printed circuit board spacing requirements. Experienced professionals in this field recommend that you rely on common shapes like rectangles or squares to reduce PCB costs. So avoid choosing bespoke printed circuit boards and opt for something simpler instead. The more complex the shape, especially if it happens to be irregular, the higher the cost of your PCB.
The annular holes and rings on your PCB board should be designed to fit your board. They should also be only as large as you need them to be. This will save you money by helping you avoid the use of precision machinery for boards with small-diameter holes, which will require expensive equipment.
With annular rings, the minimum distance between the borders of the hole and the pad needs to be uniform. This idea applies even to oblong hole shapes. You can reduce your total PCB production costs by choosing the right sizes for holes and rings.
Optimizing your PCB manufacturing process also goes a long way in cutting your costs without compromising on quality when done right. Here are a few ways to do it:
· Volume dramatically affects the price of any commodity. The more PCBs you manufacture at once, the lower the cost to produce them will be.
· You can adapt onboard panelization to save costs. This happens when printed circuit boards get framed into respective panels for optimum efficiency. By decreasing lead time, you waste fewer PCB materials and thus save costs.
One final tip we'd like to leave you with is to always strive for quality. While you can buy cheap PCBs by following some of the ideas in this blog, you need to understand when it is an excellent idea to save and when you must spend those extra few bucks. The last thing you want is to buy cheap PCBs only to lose money when consumers return your products and demand refunds.
Instead of taking a risk buying them from several relatively unknown online sellers, we recommend trusted sources, established PCB prototype manufacturers, and one-on-one engineers like those working in Omni PCB.
Finding a trusted and professional PCB supplier can be challenging. You have to perform plenty of online research to find the right ones. You may also have to attend electronics trade shows to do so. Requesting factory images, testimonials, and other details takes even more time.
Omni PCB has established itself as a leader in the field and has been trusted by companies across the globe to deliver quality, custom PCBs at the most competitive rates. Connect with us to discover how we can help you buy printed circuit boards online.
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